Bathing cap



' p 1938- c. J. CROWLEY 2,131,344

BATHING CAP Filed April 19, 1937 Patented Sept. 27, 1938 BATHING CAPCornelius J. Crowley, New Haven, Conn, to The Seamless Rubber Company,

PATENT orrics assignor Incorporated, New Haven, 001111., a corporationof Massachusetts Application April 19, 1937, Serial No. 137,841

'4 Claims.

This invention relates to rubber bathing caps. One of the objects of myinvention is to enhance the water-excluding characteristics of the capby means comprising relatively soft yieldingparts (preferably madeintegrally with the cap body) which do not detract from the comfort ofthe wearer, and which more particularly are characterized by the absenceof relatively stifl or rigid elements, which, as in some prior caps,present edges pushing into the skin and causing considerable discomfort.By my improvements the cap is improved from a manufacturing standpointin that it may be readily and inexpensively produced, while at the sametime the construction is such as to act effectively in excluding waterwhich might otherwise enter the cap at the edge portions. By myinvention also I provide the cap with a water-excluding flange or likemember which better conforms to the head and neck of the wearer, and bybeing self-conforming has a uniform-water-excluding action throughoutthe length of such flange or member.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical central section through a bathing cap embodying myimprovements;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary inside view on a larger scale of the edgeportion of the cap, which in this instance is provided with twowater-excluding rubber flanges;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sections on lines 3-8 and 6-6, respectively, of Fig.2; and

Fig. 51s a sectional view illustrating the position which the flangesmay take when the cap is applied to the head.

In the drawing I have shown a rubber cap of the type known asfull-fashioned or full-headshaped (of the molded variety), but it is tobe understood that my invention may be applied to caps of other types.The body of the cap is shown at 8, and the same is provided with aportion i which comes down on the forehead, and portions 8 which coverthe ears, and a portion 9 which extends across the back of the neck. Inthe form illustrated, two water-excluding flanges i8 and H are providedwhich are connected to the cap body (preferably integrally) along linesspaced slightly upwardly from the lower edge of the cap, and in generalthese flanges have a curvature conforming generally to that of the capedge. The flanges do not extend across the forehead portion, as they arenot necessary in that region, and they therefore terminate at the templeportions, as shown. Each flange preferably extends continuously from thetemple portion at one side of the cap (or z-ssi around the edge portionof the cap to the other temple portion, but modification may be made inthis respect if desired.

The flanges ill and II have thin bodies, and being made of elasticmaterial are of a yielding nature, so that, while, when the cap is notin use, they project inwardly so as to be substantially normal to theirsupporting body (Fig. 3):

they are readily displaced when in contact with the head so as to takepositions such as those shown, for example, in Fig. 5. The flanges,furthermore, instead of being straight-walled, as in some priorconstructions, are deflected from a straight line so that, generallyspeaking, each presents a zigzag rim or wall extending along the body ofthe cap near the edge portion thereof. More specifically, each flangepresents a series of relatively short interconnected curved portions,preferably of uniform length. Still more specifically, the preferredconstruction as exhibited in the drawing presents a thin yielding wallof scalloped formation presenting a series tremities. Also, in theparticular form illustrated, it will be observed that these flanges,which are adjacent but spaced from and independent of each other, areprovided with concave wall portions so arranged that each such portionof one flange faces a corresponding portion of the other flange.

' In the use of the cap, which is applied to the head in the customarymanner, the yielding thin corrugated flanges, when the cap is in place,are flexed or displaced by contact with the head and neck of the wearerso that they no longer maintain their normal 'or perpendicular relationto the cap body, but have their parts'moved lateral- 1y so as to contactwith their flat surfaces against the adjacent surfaces of the head andneck. In other words, these flanges, owing to their shape and thematerial of which they are composed, readily conform to the parts towhich the marof segments of circles joined together at their exginalpart of the cap is applied. Fig. 5 shows an example of positions whichthe flanges may assume at one point in the cap margin, but it is to beunderstood that in some places the flanges may conform more closely tothe head or neck than in the case illustrated in Fig. 5, and in otherplaces less closely. This feature is of some importance in that a flangeof the character described, by the diversity of the possible positionsof its parts at different points, when the cap is applied to the head,is enabled to conform to the head and neck parts more readily so as torepel incoming water more uniformly than hereu tofore at the difierentpoints in the length of the cap edge. In other words, the flange serveseffectively to repel water in the places where there is usually a slightgap or space under the cap edge, as well as in those places where thecap edge has a tighter fit.

It will also be understood that the latitude in the direction of bendingor flexing of the flange portions is a feature of importance. In thecase illustrated in Fig. 5, parts of both flanges are flexed in anupward direction, but they will act with equal efliciency if fiexed'in adownward direction, for example, and they will act efiectivelyregardless of the direction in which they are flexed and without thenecessity of exercising special care in adjusting the marginal portionof the cap on the head.

While I have shown a cap in which two flanges are employed, it will beunderstood that in some aspects of my invention the number of flanges isimmaterial.

My improved cap is quite comfortable in that it is devoid of stiif orrigid ribs or edges pushing directly into the skin. In practice itprovides a high degree of water exclusion, and yet the article can beinexpensively produced by methods such as customary in the manufactureof rubber articles, and more particularly molded and vulsaid wall beingsoft and yieldable, and following a zig-zag line made up of amultiplicity of short portions approaching toward and receding from themargin in a course generally parallel and close to the margin.

2. A rubber bathing cap having a water-excluding flange normallystanding substantially perpendicularly to the cap body and provided witha free inner edge, said flange being within the cap margin and havingportions leading alternately toward and away from the margin, saidflange presenting a series of segments of small circles of substantiallythe same diameter joined at their extremities and free to flex inopposite directions into flatwise engagement with the head of thewearer.

3. A rubber bathing cap having on its inner surface and followingsinuous lines adjacent its margin, thin elastic flange members wellseparated irom each other and normally standing substantiallyperpendicularly to the body of the cap. and havinginner edges which arefree substantially throughout their length, said flange memberspresenting portions leading toward each other alternating with portionsmore remote from each other and being free to flex in oppositedirections into flatwise engagement with the head of the wearer.

4. A rubber bathing cap having on its inner surface and followingsinuous lines adjacent its margin, thin elastic flange members wellseparated from each other and normally standing substantiallyperpendicularly to the body of the cap, and having inner edges which arefree substantially'throughout their length, each of said flange membershaving portions formed as segments of circles and presenting concavitiesfacing those of the other flange member and being free to flex inopposite directions into flatwise engagement with the head of thewearer.

CORNELIUS J. CROWLEY.

